Formulation and evaluation of functional attributes of low‐fat mozzarella cheese using okra mucilage as a fat replacer

Summary Mozzarella cheese is a fermented product comprised of 30–45% milk fat on a dry basis. The milk fat gives the mozzarella its desirable stretchable properties which are demanding in food processing industries. The current study was designed to use okra mucilage as a carbohydrate‐based fat replacer to prepare low fat mozzarella cheese. For this purpose, the different concentrations of okra mucilage (0.25 to 1.0% (v/v)) were used. The fat contents were significantly reduced in all treatments and the addition of okra mucilage with a concentration of 0.25% (T 2 ) was considered best for its organoleptic properties and 1% (T 4 ) has a positive impact on the textural, functional attributes of low‐fat mozzarella cheese.